The R.O.K. government has persevered in negotiating with North Korea to proceed to an ‘advanced level of normalization’ of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex(GIC) and improve South and North Korea relations.

-The government’s consistent stance for the last six rounds of inter-Korean governmental working-level talks was that the operation of the GIC must not be suspended for political and military issues and companies must be ensured unrestricted business activities in accordance with international standards.

This is an obvious matter for the ‘advanced level of normalization’ of the GIC.

-However, North Korea refused to make even the basic promises and implied that it can suspend the GIC operation for political and military issues.

-If North Korea unilaterally takes measures and prohibits the entry of our workers to the GIC and withdraws North Korean workers for unjust reasons, our companies will suffer from great losses.

We want a clear answer from North Korea on preventing the recurrence of the unilateral suspension of the GIC.

-If not, the R.O.K. government will be compelled to make a grave decision in order to prevent any greater psychological·physical damages to our companies.

We are proposing the final talks to discuss the GIC issues.

The government is resolute on forming a principled and expansive inter-Korean relations while according respect to North Korea.

-As stated earlier, the R.O.K. government will conduct humanitarian aid aside from the political issues, to vulnerable groups of North Korea such as infants.

-We will approve five civic organizations’ humanitarian aid to North Korea and support UNICEF’s projects on infants tomorrow(7.29).

The R.O.K. government urges North Korea to make the right choice for the normalization of the GIC, and South and North Korea relations.